“That’s right, baby girl,” he said. “All yours.”
Night falls on Silver Creek. Fireflies light the dark, riding the backs of breezes as stars gather, diamond studs on velvet black. The air is heavy, but moves along a creek as eternal as earth, and whispers of timeless evenings when the oldest trees were young.
He looked at his living child and thought of the one who was not. His first child, now safe among family, brought from the shadow of history to sleep in the shade of ancestors. And Julian wished, for the son he had never held, peace. Christina fidgeted on his lap and now, like her sleepy brother, began to cry. Funny, he thought, how they all do that. Out of fear, probably, of surrendering to the closing dark, not yet understanding that another day is coming. Not understanding that light follows dark, day follows night, and endings become beginnings—always.
He kissed his daughter’s tiny head and, believing her days would be many, hoped that when the time came for him to tell her the story of the ones who came before, he would be able to remember all of it. He got up from the rocker as his girl-child lay her sleepy head on his shoulder, patted her back as her eyes closed. Let’s see. There was a Frenchman, and a beautiful African woman, with skin like midnight sky….
Acknowledgements
For their help, encouragement and support, without which this book would not have been possible, I thank:
My publisher and editor, Doug Seibold, for his wise editorial eye, for his integrity, and for his unflagging belief in my writing, and also Diana Slickman, Eileen Johnson, and the entire Agate staff for their hard work.
My writing buddies David Haynes and Sanderia Faye Smith for their encouragement throughout this project.
Maxine Clair, Jane Owen, Elisa Durrette, and Jamal Story for reading and providing intelligent insight and guidance with the manuscript in its various stages.
Kalamu Ya Salaam for editorial advice and for his vast knowledge of New Orleans history, geography and culture.
My favorite artist and good friend Jean Lacy and her son, Nathaniel Lacy, once again, for the cover drawing “High Water Blues.”
Lolis Eric Elie and Dawn Logsdon for the inspiration of their masterful film: Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans.
Friends and helpful residents of New Orleans for their support: historian, author and WWOZ DJ Tom Morgan and his wife Hild Creed (for helpful comments on the text), and Ricky Sebastian and Cheryl and Cameron Woods for hosting me on various trips to the city, as well as to the attentive and efficient staff of the Hotel Provincial.
Corky Bruce of the Natural Springs Garden Center in Nachitoches and Beth Perkins of the Banting Nursery in Jefferson Parish for information on the wildflowers of Louisiana.
Alvena Brock-McNeil, for sharing her Katrina photos and stories with me.
My friend and colleague Sterling Procter, for his superb musical graphics (a belated thank you for my first novel!)
Writers Tod Lewan, Delores Barclay and the Associated Press writing team for their superior investigative reporting on the troubled and sometimes violent history of black landownership in the rural South, detailed in their 2001 series “Torn From the Land.” This team deserves far more credit that it ever received for exposing the calculated removal of valuable American land from the hands of its African American owners in the past 150 years.
The wonderful staff and fellow workers at Habitat for Humanity, New Orleans for inspiration, and for their commitment to rebuilding the city.
The great trumpet players of New Orleans who uphold the tradition of Bolden and Armstrong: Marsalis, Blanchard, Mayfield, Payton, Jordan, Scott, Ruffins, Allen and a seemingly endless list of others for their contributions to the history of a great American art form, and for keeping the music alive.
Praise for Rosalyn Story’s More Than You Know
“Rosalyn Story’s debut novel is a mystery at heart—a page-turner enhanced by lyrical language and clever plot turns. Story, a violinist with the Fort Worth Symphony, knows how to play to a crowd, and she drives the narrative like a good straight-ahead quartet—taking a pop standard and playing it with panache while adding fresh changes and tempos that give the well-worn tune a whole new sound.… An engaging addition to the jazz-novel canon.”
—Washington Post
“Romantic, deeply sentimental redemption story of smoky jazz clubs, beauty salons crackling with gossip, and the intricate, wide-ranging community that holds it all together.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Story weaves this tale of family ties and secrets back and forth between past and present, using finely drawn characters, jazz settings, and taut emotions to build tension toward reconciliation. The book’s powerful evocation of love and family should appeal to a wide cross section of readers.”
—Booklist
“More Than You Know is a moving grown-up read featuring well-drawn and familiar characters. This is the perfect choice for your next book club pick.”
—Essence
“Story writes with the plot-twisting precision of a veteran and a lyricism reminiscent of James Baldwin’s novel-turned-serenade Sonny’s Blues…. Well done.”
—BIBR
Copyright © 2010 Rosalyn Story
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the publisher.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and dialogue, except for incidental references to public figures, products, or services, are imaginary and are not intended to refer to any living persons or to disparage any company’s products or services.
eISBN : 978-1-572-84673-9
The Library of Congress has catalogued the physical edition of this book as follows:
Story, Rosalyn M.
Wading home / Rosalyn Story.
p. cm.
Summary: “A multigenerational family saga set against the backdrop of post-
Katrina New Orleans and Louisiana”--Provided by publisher.
eISBN : 978-1-572-84673-9
1. African Americans--Louisiana--Fiction. 2. African American families--Louisi-
ana--Fiction. 3. Hurricane Katrina, 2005--Social aspects--Fiction. 4. New Orleans
(La.)--Fiction. 5. Louisiana--Fiction. I. Title.
PS3619.T694W33 2010
813’.6--dc22
2010013014
Bolden is an imprint of Agate Publishing. Agate books are available in bulk at discount prices. For more information, go to agatepublishing.com.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Storm Warning
Chapter 1 - New Orleans, August 2005
Chapter 2 - Tokyo, August 2005
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Two Years Later
Acknowledgements
Praise
Copyright Page
Wading Home Page 32
